Lies My HellDreams Told Me
by etmuse
Summary: Jack and Ianto reconnect after a Hell of a day. Set after the audiobook 'In The Shadows'.


The Rift alert had kept them busy until the small hours of the morning. With everything finally cleared up and Cardiff safe again, if only for now, Owen and Tosh had gone home, Owen still grumbling about jammy ex-coppers who got to miss a late night and go on holiday.

Ianto had been hovering around the Hub; despite his exhaustion, he didn't really want to go home. He wasn't quite ready to let Jack out of his sight yet. Irrationally, he was scared that if he looked away for just a moment, Jack might disappear again.

He was pointlessly rearranging clean mugs on the shelf over the coffee machine when he felt two warm arms slide around his waist and hold on tight. He twisted around in Jack's embrace and let the older man cuddle him close. His own arms slid around Jack's shoulders and his fingers gripped Jack's shirt.

"It's so good to hold you again," Jack whispered hotly against his ear.

Ianto nodded into his shoulder. "I really thought I'd lost you forever," he mumbled.

Jack pulled his head back just enough to meet Ianto's eyes. "Never," he vowed. "You couldn't get rid of me if you tried."

"Not planning on trying any time soon, thank you very much," Ianto muttered, tightening his grip again and pressing his cheek to Jack's. He felt Jack's sigh brush past his ear as Jack relaxed into the embrace. He closed his eyes and let himself relax too.

They just stood like that, holding each other tight and letting themselves feel the relief at the other's presence, for quite some time.

Eventually, though, the exhaustion of the day overtook Ianto and he couldn't suppress a yawn. Jack pulled back and kissed him softly, tenderly. It wasn't a kiss that was trying to lead anywhere, just another way of reminding himself that Ianto was still there; reminding Ianto that _he_ was still there.

"Come on," he said softly, running his hand down Ianto's arm to take his hand. He took a step backwards and led Ianto down to his room under his office. Neither of them was willing to relinquish their contact with the other, which made getting down the ladder difficult, but they made it.

Slowly, they stripped each other off, soft kisses and caresses comforting instead of arousing. Tonight wasn't a night about sex; it was all about reassuring themselves of the sheer emotional pleasure of being together.

Once they were both naked, they clambered into bed and resumed their tight hold on each other. Ianto had nuzzled his head into the crook of Jack's neck and was just on the edge of slipping into a contented sleep when Jack's soft words pulled him back.

"You're the only one who hasn't asked what happened to me there, you know."

Ianto pressed his lips to Jack's shoulder and answered him sleepily. "You were in your own personal Hell dimension. Figured you'd talk about it if you wanted to, and if you didn't I wasn't going to drag you through it again."

Jack's arms tightened fractionally around Ianto and his lips were hot against the top of Ianto's head. "Thank you for that. Maybe that's why I actually feel like I want to talk to you about some of it. I… I think maybe I _need_ to. It's stupid, but I need you to tell me categorically that it isn't true."

"Hmm?" Ianto raised his head a little so he could meet Jack's eyes in the murky darkness. "What is it?"

"When I was... well, let's go with calling it in Hell… you, all of you, were… dead. But that wasn't what killed me." Jack took a shaky breath and Ianto kissed him encouragingly. "You… well, not _you_ you, but Hell you… you didn't care about me at all. You told me you were just… using me so you could hurt me."

He swallowed hard. "I've told myself that isn't true, but…"

Ianto kissed him again. "It's not true, Jack." He hesitated for just a fraction of a moment, coming to a decision. "I love you, Jack. You have to know that."

Jack was shaking, almost imperceptibly, and his voice was a tone or two higher than normal. "Really?"

In the dim light, Ianto tried to convey his sincerity through his gaze. "Really," he intoned.

One of Jack's hands came up to clasp the back of Ianto's head as he held him even closer. "I love you too," he whispered earnestly. "I do."

They both had smiles on their faces as they drifted into sleep.


End file.
